Rep DeFazio says piracy bill would be Patriot Act for the Internet

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) said the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) would be like applying the Patriot Act to private Internet companies in a speech on the House floor Jan 18.

"This legislation ... the fact that we are essentially creating the Patriot Act national security letter provisions for private companies to censor the Internet. We cannot let that happen," Rep DeFazio said. "We must stop this legislation." Rep DeFazio also said the bill would mimic how the "Iranian and the communist Chinese" censor the Internet.
The Patriot Act, passed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, expanded the government's domestic spying powers.